The Mars Society is proud to join a broad coalition of scientific organizations, advocacy groups, industry associations, labor unions, and research institutions in urging Congress to reject the proposed FY 2027 cuts to NASA’s space science programs.
Led by The Planetary Society, this joint effort reflects growing concern across the American space community that these proposed reductions would seriously damage U.S. leadership in planetary exploration, scientific discovery, technology development, and STEM education. We invite supporters to read and share the coalition’s joint letter to members of Congress calling for strong support of NASA Science.
For decades, NASA’s science missions have expanded humanity’s understanding of Mars, the Moon, Earth, and the broader cosmos while inspiring millions of students, researchers, engineers, and space advocates across the United States. The proposed cuts would jeopardize dozens of missions and research programs, weaken the nation’s scientific workforce, and undermine the long-term goals of human exploration beyond Earth.
We encourage Mars advocates, space supporters, scientists, students, and members of the public throughout the country to speak out in support of NASA and its vital science initiatives. American leadership in space exploration depends not only on launching astronauts and spacecraft, but also on maintaining the robust scientific foundation that makes exploration meaningful and sustainable.
“Exploration without science is just tourism. The Mars Society has argued for more than three decades that the case for sending humans to other worlds rests on what we learn when we get there, and that learning starts with the robotic missions, the data analysis, and the trained workforce that NASA’s Science Mission Directorate makes possible. The proposed 46 percent cut would terminate more than 50 missions and push NASA science funding to its lowest inflation-adjusted level since 1984. It would gut the very capability that Artemis depends on, and that any future human mission to Mars will depend on. The American public has made clear in poll after poll that they want their country to lead in space science. Congress should listen, and reject these cuts as decisively as they did last year.”
The Mars Society remains committed to working with our partners in the space community and with Congress to help protect NASA Science and ensure the United States continues leading the world in exploration, discovery, and the human future in space.
